My Big Fat Wookie Wedding
by PrincessBen55
Summary: (I know, cheesy title. Please forgive me, it's my first Fanfic.) A couple weeks after ROTJ, Han, Leia, Luke, and the droids accompany Chewie to his home planet to visit his family. Han and Leia experience an epiphany about their relationship. Luke begins to train his sister in the ways of the Force.
1. Chapter 1

Han Solo sighed and stretched luxuriously upon the wide, cushy hammock. It was slung between two walls of a hut meant for much smaller beings, yet the strong hammock of vines and leather had been constructed especially for him. The Ewoks had made all four of their larger companions each their own hammock in their own hut, but Princess Leia Organa preferred not to sleep alone.

As Han pulled back from his stretch he let his arms fall naturally around Leia's figure, reveling in the joy it gave him just to know she was there. As he gently rubbed his hand over on of her arms, he felt the tight bandaging on her upper arm beneath the fabric of her sleeve; an injury she'd sustained during the battle which had taken place the previous day. "How's that arm feelin'?" he asked her.

"Much better," she replied contentedly, "Thanks to the medi-droid."

"The medi-droid?" Han feigned his outrage, "Aren't I the one who carried ya to safety and patched ya up?"

" 'Patched me up' is an overstatement." asserted Leia good-naturedly.

"Why don't ya go sleep with the precious medi-droid, then?" teased Han.

"Maybe I will." replied Leia. "She moved as if to get up, but Han put his hands on her waist and gently pulled her back into the hammock. Then, grinning, he reached down and kissed her.

"Admit it-" he told her, "I saved your life out there with my quick thinkin'."

"_You_ saved _my_ life?" asked Leia incredulously, arching an eyebrow as she twisted to look at him. "I don't know where you get your delusions, Captain Solo, but I certainly remember it the other way around."

"You'd been shot, I'm sure you weren't in your right mind."

"Then I suppose I just imagined it when you said you loved me." quipped Leia.

Han laughed, wrapping his arms more snugly around the Princess and kissing the top of her head. "All right, your Worship; guess you were more lucid than I thought."

"Lucid enough to take out a pack of Stormtroopers with one hand." she teased.

Han chuckled, "One o' the reasons I love ya so much." he whispered into her hair. The rhythmic swaying of the hammock combined with the enticing smell of Leia's flowing hair was lulling him to sleep. Her head, resting on his broad chest, rose and fell with each breath he took. Leia drifted off to the comforting beat of his heart with a contented smile on her lips. It was the first good, real sleep she'd had in years.

He had to admit it- he was gonna miss these weird furry dwarves.

It was the eve of their departure from the Endor moon, and the Ewok Tribe was throwing them yet another party. They had been devastated when Han had forced Threepio to break the news to them. Wicket had let out a despairing wail and had run at Han's legs with such force that he nearly knocked him down. Leia had laughed, but it was her turn next.

"Don't worry," she said consolingly to the downcast Ewok, petting the head which rested in her lap. "We'll come back to visit often." She made sure that Threepio had translated this last bit to them.

"We should probably get goin'." Han said as soon as Wicket had released his hold on the princess. "Chewie!" he called out.

The Wookie barked back from amidst a crowd of admirers. Han rolled his eyes, "You're the one who was so anxious to go in the first place!"

It was true; it seemed that their furry little friends were reminding Chewbacca of own family back home on Kashyyk, whom he hadn't seen since his last visit two years previously. Han admitted that it would be nice to see the Wookie family again, and made preparations to leave. That was a week ago. They had found it hard to leave their hospitable little friends.

Han looked down at the petite princess standing beside him. "You sure you'd rather come with us to Kashyyk?" he asked her.

Leia looked up, brown eyes brimming with affection for the handsome smuggler-turned-general. "Of course I'm sure." she said for what felt like the hundredth time that week.

"What about the Alliance? Mon Mothma and those guys; won't they need your help establishing the New Republic?"

"They can survive without me for a while."

"What, and I can't?"

Leia tilted her head, "Do you _want_ me to come with you?"

"Of course I do!" Han stated immediately, repositioning himself so that he stood directly in front of her. "I just..." he began, not wanting to sound stupid, "I wanna make sure you're doin' what _you_ want."

She smiled gently and reached out on the tips of her toes to kiss him. "How many times do I have to tell you before it penetrates that thick skull of yours? This is what I want."

With one of his characteristic, lop-sided grins, a reassured Han placed his hands on the princess's waist and his lips upon hers. Leia's stomach jittered pleasantly at the sensation, as it always did at Han's touch.

When their lips at last broke apart, Han said in his low, velvety voice, "This is all ya want? You've never thought about anything more?" His glittering hazel eyes bored into her warm brown ones, making Leia's heart race. Of course she'd thought-no _fantasized_- about it. He had no idea what just one look, one kiss could do to her. Or maybe he did... Before Leia could respond, Luke, still wearing his black robes, approached them with a grave, yet genuine smile on his young, yet matured face. He was followed by a diligent Threepio. "Hi, guys. Hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

Han straightened to his full height, an annoyed look on his face. Leia grabbed his hand before he could say anything snarky, and told Luke, "No, of course not. What's going on?"

Luke glanced briefly at Han's forced smile. "I just wanted to make sure you're still all right with me tagging along."

Han's face softened into a genuinely affectionate expression, and he clapped a hand to Luke's shoulder. " 'Course we're all right with ya." he said warmly, "Question is, are _you_ all right with _us_?"

Both Luke and Leia gave him confused looks. Han gave them a lop-sided grin, "Ya know how some brothers can be about the guys their sisters date."

"If I didn't know any better," said Luke with the hint of a mischievous smile, "I'd think you were asking my permission."

"Then it's a good thing ya know me better," admonished Han, "Cuz ya know that I don't need permission for anything."

Luke's eyebrows rose slightly, and he glanced at his new-found twin sister. "Now I'm a little worried." he said.

Han opened his mouth to retort, then quickly closed it again when he realized what he'd said. Instead of arguing with Luke, he turned his attention down to Leia. "I didn't mean it like that, Sweetheart." he said apologetically. Her mouth tightened, but not from anger like Han thought. She was doing her best not to laugh at the uncharacteristically helpless look on his face.

"Honest, Leia, I'd never-"

She laid a slim finger over his lips, and he shut up immediately, hazel eyes wide. "I know." she said simply. Han let out a low, irresistible chuckle which caused Leia's stomach to flutter and her heart to melt. Unable to resist, she threw her arms around his neck and ardently met his lips with hers.

Luke regarded them with his head slightly tilted, unsure about what had just happened. "Am I missing something?" he muttered.

"I believe, Master Luke, that Mistress Leia and General Solo are referring to the moment when they first expressed their true feelings for one another." said Threepio matter-of-factly.

Luke looked over at the golden protocol droid. "When was that?" he asked wondering how in the world Threepio knew something like that.

"As I recall, it was on Bespin, just before General Solo was encased in carbonite." answered the droid promptly, "Mistress Leia was quite distressed. She told General Solo most heart-wrenchingly-"

"That's all right, Threepio." Luke interrupted quickly, "I don't need the details." he looked back to Han and Leia, wrapped in a close embrace as they smiled widely at each other. He could feel the intense emotions coming off of them in waves; pure joy and love, and for a moment, he felt his own twinge of sadness. Would he ever have that with someone? He sighed and turned away. Anyone who had that kind of a bond was very lucky. Luke grinned to himself as he walked through the village. Only Han Solo had _that_ kind of luck.


	2. Chapter 2

Leia stood across from Luke in the hold area of the _Falcon_, unsure what to expect and feeling slightly nervous.

"Ready?" Luke asked her. She took a deep breath, restoring placidity to her mind. Why was she so nervous, anyway? It wasn't as if anything bad could happen... She looked at her brother, "Ready." She told him.

"All right," said Luke, "Close your eyes and clear your mind of all thought."

Leia did as she was told, releasing thoughts with each breath she expelled. The calm void in her mind expanded.

"Good," Luke goaded gently, "Now keep your mind and heart open."

Subconsciously, Leia hands opened at her sides in a welcoming gesture, embracing the universe. And suddenly, though she was very calm, her heart began beating faster, her breathing became deeper; she felt strong and powerful as the energy of the Force flowed through her like electricity through a conductor. Yet at the same time, she felt like only a tiny star in the vast universe. She sensed Luke beside her, his Force-presence radiating from him like a warm, brilliant sun. "A Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him- or her." he said. His voice sounded from inside her head, but seemed to be all around her.

"I can feel it," she told him, "It's everywhere. It's..." she trailed off, feeling a different, yet familiar presence approaching. It was not a Force-presence, but... Before she could put her finger on it, the deep voice rumbled out, "What's goin' on?"

Leia's eyes flew open and beheld Han, leaning casually in the doorway with his thumbs hooked into the belt loops of his pants. She smiled fondly at him. "Luke is teaching me about the Force."

Han blinked in brief astonishment, then regained most of his composure. "Oh, right. Because... yeah." He came into the room and flopped into the Navigator's char. "How's that workin' out for ya?"

"Good. I think." replied Leia with an inquisitive glance at her brother. Luke nodded, smiling encouragingly. "Very good." he said, "In fact, I think you're ready for _this_." He unhooked the lightsaber from his belt and deposited it in his sister's hands.

Leia stared at the ancient weapon warily, then at Luke. "Really?" she asked. Even without Force abilities, Luke could sense her reluctance. "You don't want to learn?" he asked her, trying and failing to hide his disappointment. Leia had the potential to become one of the most powerful Jedi in the past century- he could feel it within her. Besides that, he had hoped that it would give them something more to bond over, now that they knew the truth.

Leia's fingers closed around the grooved, metal hilt of Luke's lightsaber. It felt unfamiliar in her grip, yet somehow... right. "No," she looked back to Luke, "I _do_ want to learn." Her thumb pressed the button which ignited the green blade. Luke smiled and began to demonstrate basic defensive maneuvers to her.

Han watched the humming blade whirl and slice through the air as Leia mirrored Luke's movements, slowly at first, then with lethal speed. Even at a time like this, Han couldn't help but admire the princess's grace. The lightsaber seemed natural in her grip and movements, almost like it was always _meant_ to be there, like... He shook his head to himself as Chewie walked into the room. The Wookie wharfed inquisitively at his best friend.

Han chuckled back, "After all I've seen in the past few years? 'Course I've changed my mind. But that don't mean I have to like it."

Chewie grunted in agreement as Luke retrieved a silvery globe about the size of a man's fist, and which was covered with fine antennae. The princess eyed it warily, forcibly reminded of certain instruments she'd encountered while being held prisoner aboard the Death Star. "What is that?"

"Don't worry." said Luke, "It won't hurt... if you focus."

"What?!"

Han couldn't help but laugh as Leia's eyes widened. She turned toward him with a glare. "I fail to see the humor in this." she said fiercely.

"I'm not laughin' at _you, _Princess." smirked Han, "I'm just rememberin' the last time I saw that thing." He shot a mischievous look at Luke, who pointedly ignored him and turned his attention back to his sister. "Forget him. Focus on letting go of your irritation. The most important thing is learning to control your emotions."

Leia shut her eyes in order to concentrate, and found it easy to restore a state of tranquility to her mind. When she opened her eyes, Luke was fiddling with the tiny switches on the orb. "Now," he said, "All this thing does is hover around and shoot stun rays at you. Use the saber to deflect them." He pressed a button on the orb's surface, and it came to life, floating in the air between him and Leia.

Drawing a deep, even breath, Leia held the humming green blade defensively in front of her. Suddenly, the orb darted to the left, while blasting a stun ray toward her right leg. She swung the saber down in time to block it, but was not fast enough for the second blast, which struck her left thigh. She jumped and gasped as the upper part of her leg began tingling as though it were asleep. Deactivating the lightsaber, she sat down hard on one of the chairs at the table. Luke used the Force to draw the orb back into his hand. Leia glared at Han as though expecting him to laugh, but he was keeping a remarkably straight face. "What?" he asked, as innocently as was possible for Han Solo to sound. "I ain't laughin', Sweetheart. This is serious stuff." She couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, which irked her even further.

"It's all right." said Luke, "Nobody's perfect. You should've seen me on my first try."

Han finally laughed, leaning back in his chair with his fingers laced behind his head. "Yeah," he grinned, "You got it right in the-"

"I think I know what'll help you." Luke cut in strongly, "Hold on for a second."

As soon as he'd gone from the room, Leia turned to Han. "Did he really...?"

"Yup," Han nodded smugly, "Hard, too. And to top it off, he fell and landed smack-" he clapped his hands together for emphasis just as Luke returned.

"Yeah, yeah. Very funny." he said, though he, too, was smiling. He held a cloth in on of his hands, which he began to fold into one long, thick strip. "Come here, Leia."

She stood and walked over to Luke, her left thigh finally regaining feeling. He put the cloth over her eyes and tied it at the back of her head. "Don't rely on your senses to predict where it will strike; reach out and feel it through the Force."

Leia quickly pushed the prickle of panic from her mind. She needed to convince herself that she didn't need her eyes when she had the Force as an ally. And with the calm void came the enveloping presence of the Force.

Sensing her power, Luke released the silvery orb without warning. Leia activated her weapon just in time to deflect the blow directed at her chest. She blocked the second shot near her right knee. As the orb darted silently behind her, she spun around gracefully and swung the saber up to stop the ray fired at her head.

Beaming, Luke summoned the orb back to his hand. Leia extinguished the lightsaber and pulled the cloth from her eyes to see that both Luke and Han were staring at her in amazement.

"Well now I've seen everything." rumbled Han, his intense hazel eyes hungrily taking in the Force-sensitive princess like he'd never looked at her before. Leia felt herself blushing under the open intensity of his gaze, but couldn't understand why.

Luke swept his sister into a tight, excited hug. "Ben was right," he said when he released her, "The Force is strong in our family." Leia sighed and closed her eyes, chin still resting on Luke's shoulder. That was what worried her.

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Han was seated on the edge of his bed, pulling his boots off, when Leia appeared in the open doorway of his cabin. He usually kept his door shut, but tonight, he wanted to try something. "Going to bed?" she asked. Han usually kept his door shut, but tonight, he wanted to try something. He smirked to himself. He knew leaving the door open was a good idea.

"I was thinkin' about it." said Han, standing and walking over to her. He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms, the corner of his mouth curving upward in a crooked smile. "Care to join me?"

Leia's heart raced at the thought of going to bed with Han Solo. She'd imagined it often enough, but now that it was actually about to happen, she became nervous. She'd never done this before. What if Han was disappointed? Then she thought about the way she felt every time they kissed, how wonderful his strong, manly arms around her comparatively small body; and before she knew what was happening, those arms were wrapping snugly around her while they shut the door behind her, casting the room into near darkness. As he drew her closer to his warm, solid body, his lips pressed firmly, yet ardently into hers. And suddenly, her doubts vanished. All she wanted was to be held by him, to be touched by him, to be loved by him. Han's hands roved slowly, intoxicatingly down her back, stopping just below her backside and effortlessly hoisting her up so that her hips were on level with his. Leia's breathing quickened and an involuntary moan escaped her lips as Han pressed insistently against her, his lips caressing the delicate skin of her neck. With her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, Han carried her over to the bed; and thus began what they would both consider the best night of their lives.


	3. Chapter 3

When Leia woke up, she did not immediately open her heavy, languid eyes. She felt warm, safe, comfortable the way she was. She just wanted to go back to sleep. She took a deep, contented breath, filling her lungs with the intoxicatingly musky, male scent of the sheets enveloping her. And suddenly she was wide awake.

"Mornin', Princess." said Han, grinning down at her. He was on his side, propped up on an elbow with the bed sheets pulled up to his waist. Leia favored him with a smile, "Good morning. What time is it?"

Han shrugged, "I dunno. Probably not too late, cuz no one's come lookin' for me yet."

Leia flashed him a roguish grin, "And how much time do you think we have until they start to miss us?"

Han laughed, amused and excited by her eagerness. He brushed an errant strand of hair from her perfect face. "Plenty," he said, reaching down and kissing her tenderly, drawing her petite body to his- not that she needed much coaxing. His hand moved slowly, tantalizingly up her leg, and she began stroking his hair with increased urgency. Then the comm-link on the bedside table beeped loudly. Han swore and reached over to grab it. "What?" he snapped into it. Chewbacca grumbled a question from the other end.

"Yeah, I just overslept, don't have a Bantha." replied Han. The Wookiee barked inquisitively. "Have I seen the Princess?" repeated Han. He cast a devilishly handsome glance over at Leia, who was watching him with her head resting on her hand, which was propped up on her elbow. Han turned back to the comm-link, "How d'ya mean that?"

Leia smacked his chest with the back of her hand, indignant yet playful. "Scoundrel." she jibed. Han winked as Chewie wargled a reply. "None o' your business, fuzzball." retorted Han. There came a stream of berating Wookiee barks from the other end.

"All right, fine." growled Han, "I'm comin'."

"What's going on?" asked Leia as Han leapt out of the bed and began searching for his pants.

"We're comin' out of hyperspace," he replied, grabbing his pants and hastily pulling them on. He went to the dresser for a clean shirt as Leia rolled out of bed and began collecting her own clothes. Han took one, last look at her long hair flowing elegantly down her bare back, then grinned and left the cabin.

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Later that day, Leia found herself sitting across from Luke at the table in the hold area.

"Come on, Leia." her brother urged, "Focus. I know you can do it."

Leia sighed, flaring her nostrils in silent frustration. She was trying to focus, but every time she closed her eyes, memories of the night before would flood her mind, threatening to drown her in ecstasy.

Luke eyed her curiously, as though she were a puzzle he was trying to piece together. "I don't understand," he said, almost speaking to himself. "Yesterday you were so calm and focused; now you're- jittery and..." he trailed off, searching his sister's feelings. She hastily attempted to clear her mind, but the harder she tried, the stronger her feelings surfaced. Her stomach quivered excitedly and she felt slightly light-headed as she recalled just how Han's body felt against hers...

When she was able to pull out of her memories, Luke was staring at her incredulously, blue eyes wide. "You- Han..." he managed to get out. Leia felt her face flush, but said in her most regal manner, "I don't understand why you're so shocked. It's only natural for-"

"I'm not _shocked_," replied Luke, "It's just... I really didn't need that image of Han in my mind."

Leia hid her burning face in her hands as the captain of the _Falcon_ sauntered into the room. "We're comin' up on the Kashyykk System," he informed them, but they were both carefully avoiding his gaze. Han looked from one red face to the other. "Everything all right?" he asked.

Leia finally turned to smile up at him, "Yes, everything's perfect." she stood and walked to him, "But I think I've had enough for one day." And with that, she followed Han back to the cockpit. Luke scrubbed a hand over his face. How awkward! He didn't know if he could ever look at Han the same way again. Taking a deep breath, he got up and walked toward the refresher; he could use a nice, cleansing shower.

Threepio had been watching this whole exchange in confusion. He finally turned to Artoo and asked, "Did you catch any of that?"

Artoo beeped enigmatically.

"I thought not," replied the golden droid pompously, "Sometimes I don't understand human behavior."

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Chewie barked a friendly greeting as the two humans came in, Han taking his seat in the pilot's chair and Leia claiming the one behind it. "Hi, Chewie." She smiled at the Wookiee, laying a hand over his enormous paw. He wargled excitedly and pointed outside to the big, green-hued planet they were approaching.

"Is that it?" asked Leia. Chewie nodded, a soft wargle of longing issuing from his furry lips.

"Hey, Chewie," said Han without turning to look at his co-pilot, "Go and check the sheild generator, would you?"

The Wookiee blinked confusedly at his human friend, barking a reply. Han turned to him, "Then check it again! I want to make sure just in case there're any Imperials still lurkin' around."

Chewie grumbled impatiently, but got up and left anyway. As soon as he'd gone, Han swiveled his chair around to look at Leia. "So what was that all about, just then with Luke?"

Leia chuckled dryly, then looked down at her hands. "Oh, nothing really." She said as nonchalantly as she could.

"If it's nothing, then why are you blushing?"

Leia clenched her jaw, cursing herself. Why now? She _never_ blushed! She had always been able to maintain a cool outward composure, even if she was boiling under the surface. But from the beginning, she recalled, it had been this way with Han. He somehow managed to get under her skin no matter what. And this, she realized as she looked up at him, was why she loved him. He was the first to ever truly challenge her, to match her; the first to ever successfully break down her defensive barriers, and then build them up again, this time with him on the inside. It was the sheer audacity he possessed which really captured the Princess's admiration and affection. Yes, she had to admit it to herself: It was the fact that he was a scoundrel, a deliberate rule-breaker, a rebel, which inexorably drew her to him.

"Well," she began, "It's not _bad_ exactly, just... a little embarrassing."

As her words sank in, the corner of Han's mouth slowly curved upward. "Was it about that time you kissed him? Cuz I imagine that's no longer Luke's fondest memory."

"No, it's not as bad as that." she said quickly, blushing even further at the mention of the incident. "It's..." she bit her lip. How should she word this? "Luke can search people's feelings through the Force, and mine for you are particularly strong, especially after last night." She couldn't suppress a small smile at the involuntarily goofy grin that came across Han's face. "It's hard to explain, but he knows what I felt. He could feel it through me."

"So..." began Han slowly, brow contracted, "You're embarrassed because Luke found out you slept with me?"

"No, not exactly." replied Leia, "I'm embarrassed by the _way_ he found out. But it's not as though he could have found out any other way. I wasn't going to just _tell_ him."

"I see," said Han, "You just don't want anyone to know that you and I-"

"No, it's not that." said Leia, trying to keep her voice level. "I don't care if anyone knows. They probably assume things anyway. It's just- I'd like to keep my private life private. Luke doesn't need to know what I do behind closed doors. I don't have to walk around wearing a sign that says, 'I slept with Han Solo'."

"You don't?" asked Han in a tone of mock surprise, "I already started working on mine. It's says, 'I fu-"

"Very funny." Leia cut him off icily.

"C'mon, your Worshipfulness. Even you've gotta admit that those are some serious bragging rights."

Leia turned her head to stare at him in disbelief. At that look, Han's heart stopped in horror. He had said the wrong thing, and he knew it, but he wasn't about to let Leia know that.

"Is that all I am to you?" she demanded, eyes blazing, "A bragging right?" She stood up, muttering disgustedly, "I should've known. All you men are the same."

She made to walk away, but Han snatched her arm. "Hey, Princess." he said. She tried to pull away, but his grip was strong.

"Let go," She commanded, firmly but calmly, "You're hurting me."

He released her immediately, repulsed with himself. Why was he acting like this? He just needed to calm down. Leia turned to walk away again, but this time, Han reached out a long arm and laid a gentle, yet assertive hand on her waist. "Wait a second, Leia." he said softly. It was the use of her name, and not one of his ridiculous epithets, that made her hesitate. Yet she still refused to look at him.

"Listen, all I meant was that I've been with a lot of women, but..." he paused when Leia's eyes narrowed. He was digging himself a deeper hole, and he needed to climb out of there fast. "But none o' them ever mattered." he continued, watching her face closely, "There's only one woman in the whole galaxy who ever mattered." He took his hand from her waist and instead held one of her hands. She didn't pull away: a good sign. "There's only one woman I haven't just spent the night with; only one I ever _made love _to." He brought her hands up to his lips, placing delicate kisses on her knuckles, fingertips, and then her palms.

Leia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, fighting to keep her newly-awakened desires under control. She was angry with him! Wasn't she? But every suggestive brush of Han's lips against her skin made her pulse quicken still further and her passionate temper turned to passionate desire. She suddenly found herself moving toward him, and then he pulled her down onto his lap, facing him with her legs straddling his. Framing his face in her hands, she put her mouth over his expectantly parted lips. He left a hand on the inviting curve of her hip while the other deftly began to undo the fastenings of her top. Pulling his lips away from hers, he instead moved them enticingly down her neck, to the upper curve of her breast. Leia ceased kissing his ear to whisper, "Maybe we should take this somewhere else."

"You're right." he mumbled into her chest, his deep voice rumbling and vibrating through her frame. He stood up with Leia still clinging to him, and walked out of the cockpit while she planted kiss after kiss on his cheekbones, along his strong jawline.

Han walked straight through the open door of his cabin and made a beeline for the bed. He set Leia down on her back, then kneeling over her, took the comm-link from his belt and deactivated it. "We're gonna finish what we started this morning. No interruptions." He declared, tossing the comm-link aside carelessly. Leia sighed as Han pressed his mouth into her neck, biting her lip to keep from squealing in pleasure. With one hand, he began to unbuckle his pants. "Here's where the fun begins." he muttered.

"You're incorrigible." she returned breathlessly.

Han smirked. Then there came that voice; that infuriatingly pompous voice which haunted Han's nightmares: "Excuse me, Captain Solo."

Han whipped his head around, swearing violently under his breath, and saw the golden humanoid droid standing in the doorway to the cabin. "Damnit!" he growled. In his lustful haste, he'd neglected to shut the door. How could he have been so stupid?

"Whaddya want, Goldenrod? I'm a little busy at the moment."

Threepio tilted his head and saw Leia beneath Han, whom it seemed, he had not noticed initially. "Oh, dear!" he cried, "I seem to have come upon you at a rather inconvenient time-"

"You've got a habit of doing that." muttered Han darkly.

"Chewbacca tried to reach you on your comm-link, but when you wouldn't respond he sent me to fetch you." said Threepio as though he hadn't heard the human, "He says he needs you at the controls right away. He's about to begin the landing cycle."

"All right, tell him I'll be right there."

"Very good, Sir." said Threepio, then he walked away.

Han let out a long breath, rolling over onto his back and running a hand through his hair. He looked over to Leia, watching him with those smoldering brown eyes and the hint of a smile on her perfect lips. "Will I ever get a minute alone with you with that pile o' junk walkin' around?"


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry it took so long to finish this chapter and get it up. My rat died a few weeks ago, and my life's been pretty hectic since then. Enough ranting. Here you go:

After docking the _Falcon_ safely in a secluded clearing in the middle of dense forest, the rag-tag gang of Rebels walked the rest of the way to Chewbacca's house. The eager wookiee led the way down the hard-packed dirt road that cut through the peaceful forest.

Not unlike Endor, thought Leia as she looked up at the ancient, towering trees surrounding her and her friends. "No wonder you were getting homesick, Chewie." She said, "It's beautiful here." As she continued walking, a sense of peace descended upon her mind, and she found herself reminiscing about less troubled times. The lush forest and distant mountaintops reminded her of her own home planet, and the time her father had taken her camping when she was a girl. His kind, smiling face filled her mind now, and the grief of losing her family and planet hit her as hard as it had when it first happened. Only this time there was no numb disbelief; there was only gut-wrenching acceptance. Her father was dead, and she would never see him again. Her planet was destroyed, and she was never going home again. There _was_ no home.

Han's hand closed around hers, bringing her back to the present. "Hey," he said gently, "You all right?"

Leia blinked, surprised to feel moisture in her eyes, and swept the tears from her cheeks. "Yes, I'm fine." She assured him with a wan smile, relieved at least that her voice was steady. "I was just thinking about Alderaan."

Han pulled her closer and gave her a sympathetic, one-armed hug. "Chewie and I stopped there once," he told her, "It was beautiful. I wished I could've stayed longer, and I always wanted to go back. You gonna be all right?"

"Yes," she smiled up at him gratefully, "It's rough, but I'm getting through it."

"You're strong," Han agreed, looking at her admiringly, "Always have been. I don't know how you do it."

_Neither do I_, thought Leia dismally. But there were things to celebrate; the emperor was destroyed, and the last remnants of his corrupt regime were being rooted out and swept away. If her father were there, he would remind her that this was war; inevitably there would be losses, but you had to focus on the victories. And it _had_ been a victory. They had won the war Senator Bail Organa had dedicated his life to. This thought consoled Leia more than anything.

A few paces ahead, Chewie wargled excitedly as an enormous tree came into view. Leia's eyes followed the staircase that spiraled around the vast trunk and ended at a broad balcony ringing the large, circular house just below the tree's leaves. The others did their best to follow the wookiee's long strides up the spiral staircase and around the balcony to the door. The smooth metal slid open when Chewie entered the code. The anxious wookiee bounded inside, barking a warm, excited greeting. He was answered by a smaller, higher-pitched wargling from somewhere deeper in the circular house. A second later, a small wookiee came charging from around a corner and hurled himself into Chewbacca's waiting arms. His mother, Malla, was not far behind him. The golden-furred wookiee let out a howl of delight and embraced her husband.

Subconsciously, Leia slipped her hand into Han's. The ex-smuggler looked down at the princess, but her eyes were elsewhere; she was watching Chewie and Malla, with their heads together woofing softly. Han brought his attention back to the girl at his side, his thoughts whirling. What was that look on her face? She was smiling, but looked pensive, as though debating something. Not for the first time, he wished he knew what was going on behind those keen, brown eyes of hers.

Suddenly, something rammed into his midsection, knocking him breathless and nearly sending him sprawling on the ground. "H- hey, Lumpy!" he spluttered at the young wookiee wrapped around his torso. Lumpy, his father in miniature, looked up at his human friend and barked an excited question.

Han grinned at him, "Yep. We beat 'em, pal."

Lumpy squealed in triumph and jumped up then, seeming to see them for the first time, glanced shyly at Luke and Leia, then skittered back to his parents. Malla had a hug for Han too, thankfully a much gentler one. "So you managed to keep my Chewbacca out of trouble, then?" She barked affectionately. Han reached up to put a hand on his co-pilot's shaggy shoulder. "Kept _him_ outta trouble, but got me _into_ it." he chuckled.

Chewie and Han introduced their friends to the family. Instead of regarding Luke shyly, Lumpy now stared at him in awe- especially the lightsaber at his waist.

Malla turned to Leia, "So you're Han's mate?" Not comprehending the wargling language, Leia looked to Han, who chuckled and replied, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Say what?" asked Leia. Before Han could answer, Malla continued with, "I'm glad for you, Han. It's about time you had a woman to settle you down, even if she is a small one."

Han couldn't help but laugh. Leia regarded him curiously- and coolly. "What's so funny?" she asked. Han told her reluctantly, sure she would only scowl at him. But to his surprise, a small smile twisted the princess's lips. "Yes, I'm small." she admitted, turning to Malla, "but I can handle this stuck-up laser-brain."

Han turned a mock-hurt expression to her as the she-wookiee chuckled in amused agreement. "Don't you dare lose this one, Han." Malla admonished playfully, "She's just what you need."

Smiling, Han turned his gaze on Leia. "I know." he assured Malla. Leia gave him a knowing look. Chewie took his wife's paw, inquiring anxiously about the new cub. Malla replied in soothing tones that she was fine and, for the moment, asleep.

After filling the wookiees in on recent events- which took a while considering that Lumpy wanted every battle described to him and, Malla went into hysterics when she heard about Han being encased in carbonite for six months- Malla insisted on cooking dinner for them all. Chewie offered to help, but she shooed him away. Instead, he went to fetch the new cub to show her off to his friends. Kalla, she was called, after Chewie's mother. The others all gathered around as Chewie sat on the sofa with the little bundle in his arms. Kalla was almost two years old which, for a wookiee, was practically a newborn.

Chewie wargled softly as he smoothed his daughter's reddish-brown fuzz. Luke put a hand to Chewie's shoulder, blue eyes twinkling as he smiled, "She's beautiful, Chewie." he said. The wookiee softly thanked Luke and put a long arm around him.

"Yeah, thank the Gods she didn't get her father's looks." Han teased, watching them from the other side of the room. He was playing a game of holochess with Lumpy, deliberately letting his pieces be taken.

Leia was in the kitchen helping Malla any way she could. She'd brought Threepio with her to translate what the she-wookiee was saying. Malla had been very interested to know how Han Solo could've wound up with a such a nice girl, so Leia told her the whole story, beginning with her rescue from the Death Star and ending with that fateful night in Cloud City. For a moment, she became lost in her own thoughts...

She was being marched into the ominous chamber in between Chewbacca and Han; despite the red-orange glow given off, the room was cold. For once, Leia couldn't hide her mounting dread. Shrouded all in black, his face hidden behind that sinister mask, the impressive figure stared at her menacingly. Darth Vader. Her father. _No! _She felt sick, yet she knew it to be true with every fiber of her being. _No! Not Darth Vader. Anakin Skywalker. _Anakin Skywalker_ is my father._ From what she'd heard, Anakin had been a good man with only good intentions. But how could such a good man go so bad?

Malla wargled a question at Leia, cutting off her grim thoughts. Threepio tilted his head as though he hadn't understood. "That's quite impossible." he stated matter-of-factly.

"Threepio, what did she say?" Leia asked patiently.

"Directly translating, she asks when you will have cubs, although it is quite impossible for you, a human, to-"

"Thanks, Threepio." she cut him off. Though the droid did not understand what Malla meant by 'cubs', Leia did. Malla was looking at her expectantly, eyes twinkling.

"I don't know," confessed Leia, trying not to blush. "I've never really thought about it before."

"Thought about what before?" Han had finished his latest rematch with Lumpy. Leia quickly glanced at Malla to make sure she hadn't heard. She was busy tossing salad with her back to them. "None of your business, flyboy." she told him. Han shrugged and reached over her shoulder for the aromatic roast on the counter. Leia grabbed his wrist before his greedy fingers could peel off a piece of the succulent meat.

"Come on!" he complained, "I'm starving!"

"So is everyone else. You'll just have to wait like the rest of us."

Han sighed, then leaned an elbow on the counter. "What've you been doin' over here? I thought you didn't cook?"

"Who says I can't cook?"

Han looked at her, one eyebrow raised in a signature smirk. "Okay. What'd you make, Princess?"

Leia didn't meet his eyes. "I... peeled a few vegetables."

Han gave her a mock-impressed look. "Wow! Great job. I'm proud of you, I really am."

She gave him a cold smile, then walked away to sit next to Chewie and Luke. As soon as she sat down, Luke locked eyes with her. "You okay?" he asked gently, though his eyes were worried. "A minute ago, I thought maybe you..." he trailed off.

"It was..." She had been going to say it was nothing, but that wasn't really true. She settled for, "I'll tell you later."

For a moment Luke looked as though he would protest, then he nodded understandingly. Chewie turned to Leia , woofing softly and holding little Kalla towards her. She didn't need a translator to understand that he meant for her to take the cub. "Oh," she said, "Are you sure?"

Chewie nodded and tenderly placed his daughter into the princess's arms. The infant began to squirm and squeal softly. Instinctively, Leia held the cub closer to her breast, rocking her slightly and whispering words of comfort. Miraculously, this seemed to do the trick. Leia smiled in wonderment and satisfaction. She'd had virtually no experience with children of any age, but she liked them. Some women were natural-born mothers; Leia had never considered herself one of them. But now, holding baby Kalla... it felt good; right.

Han turned in time to see Chewbacca depositing the bundled cub in Leia's arms. The princess looked a little nervous at first, but soon handled the infant like she'd been doing it her whole life. As Han watched the princess smiling tenderly at the cub in her arms, something strange happened. A surge of unexpected emotion hit him like a physical blow; his breath caught, his heart seemed to swell to the point of bursting through his chest. He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Something clicked inside him at the sight of Leia and the baby, some sort of switch that set off an entire system of new, yet primal feelings within him. Han would never be able to accurately describe the way he felt at that moment, except that he had never been more in love with Princess Leia Organa.


End file.
